Flow tube



Jan. 4, 1949. H. M. uNscHULD FLOW TUBE Filed Deo. l, 1944 INVENTOR.Henry/w Uwe/mld, BY

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m S v Patented Jan. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE FLOW TUBE HenryM. Unschuld, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 1, 1944, Serial No. 566,141

The object of this invention is to provide a flow tube of new and usefulconstruction for use in the treatment of uids passing through the same.

While the foregoing statement is indicative in a general Way of thenature of the invention, other more specific objects and advantages willbe apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of theconstruction of the new tube.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is presented herein by way ofexemplication but it will of course be appreciated that the invention issusceptible of incorporation in other structurally modified forms comingequally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accomp-anying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a flow tube constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the tube, taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is another transverse section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 4 is a view of the rear end of the tube.

The flow tube which forms the subject matter of this invention is anelongated open-ended conduit Iii which is preferably made in threetelescopically associated sections II, I2 and I3. These sections may beadvantageously made of quartz glass.

The iirst section Il is provided at its front end with a radiallyextending flange I4 for endwise connection with an associated conduit.The flange I4 contains a small centrally located opening I5 throughwhich the fluid which is to be treated is adapted to enter. From theflange I4 the section II extends rearwardly in a small diameter neckportion I6 of somewhat larger inside diameter than the opening I5. Theneck portion I6 opens into a larger diameter body portion I1 whichcontains a centrally arranged electrode carrier I8. At its rear end theiirst section II terminates in a rearwardly tapering portion I9 whichsleeves into and is lxedly bonded with an oppositely tapered portion 2Don the front end of the second or intermediate section I2.

The electrode carrier IB consists of a small tube 2l which encloses anelectrical conductor 22. The tube 2|, with the conductor 22 within thesame, extends radially inward from one side of the body portion I1 to apoint adjacent the center of that portion and then extends rearwardly toa point adjacent the rear end of the portion I1, the tube 2| beingsupported intermediate its ends by spoke-like formations 23 which extendradially from the same to the surrounding wall of the portion I1. Theconductor 22 extends rearwardly 4 Claims. (Cl. 204-312) at 24 from therear end of the carrying tube 2| and is provided beyond the rear end ofthe iirst section I I with a ring-shaped electrode 25, which electrodeis supported from the rear end of the conductor 24 in spaced concentricrelation to the inner wall of the section I2 by radially extending spokemembers 26. The electrode 25 is preferably of rearwardly diverging crosssection, as shown.

The second or intermediate section I2 continues rearwardly from therearwardly tapering connecting portion 2n into a body portion 21. Thebody portion 21 merges rearwardly into a, bulbous portion 28 of somewhatlarger diameter. Beyond the portion 28 the section I2 contracts into ashort cylindrical section 29 which terminates at its rear end in arearwardly diverging portion 30, which last mentioned portion is sleevedover and iixedly bonded to a telescopically associated portion 3l of thethird or last section I3.

The section I3 is provided at its front end with a rearwardly divergingportion 32 having a small centrally arranged opening 33. The portion 32merges rearwardly into a cylindrical portion 34 which is encompassed bythe portion 29 of the second section I2 and with a. rearwardly dlvergingportion 35 which is kencompassed by the rearwardly diverging portion 30of the section I2. Between the portions 29 and 3D of the section i2 andthe portions 34 and 35 of the section I3 a second ring-shaped electrode36 is positioned, with the front edge 31 of the electrode projectingforwardly into the rear end of the annular space 38 present between thebulbous portion 28 of the second section and the reduced front end 32 ofthe third section. This electrode is provided with a conductor 39 whichextends to the outside of the tube. Y Y

Beyond the rearwardly diverging portion 3| the third section i3 isshaped to provide a cylindrical body portion 40 of substantial diameterin which a hollow tube 4I is coiled, preferably as shown. The two endsof the tube 4I are connected with nozzles 42 and 43 which are located onthe outside of the section I3, preferably as integral portions of thelatter. From the portion 40 the third section I3 is abruptly reduced indiameter at 44 and opens into a small diameter neck portion 45, ofsubstantially the same size as the neck portion I6. The neck portion 45terminates in a radial attaching flange 46 containing a small centrallylocated opening 41, preferably of smaller size than the neck portion 46.

'I'he conductors 22 and 39 are adapted to be connected by leads 48 and49 to a. source of electrical current, the nature of the currentdepending upon the character of the treatment to which the fluid flowingthrough the tube is intended to be subjected. The nozzles 42 and i3 areadapted to be connected with a circulating cooling medium, the characterand temperature of the medium depending upon the temperature to whichthe fluid is to be reduced and also the rate of flow of the fluid.

Briefly described, the iow tube of this invention is designed to subjecta gas or other fluid flowing through the same first to the bombardingaction of an electrostatic field operating between the electrodes 25 and31, and, immediately thereafter, to the cooling action of the mediumflowing through the coil 4i. The annular chamber formed within thesecond section I2V about the reduced front end 32 of the third sectionpermits of the fluid being subjected to the action of the current in asemi-quiescent eddy zone, without however interfering with thecontinuous flow of the fluid through the tube from one end of the sameto the other.

I claim:

1. A flow tube for use in treating fluid with electrostatic chargescomprising a generally tubular glass member, a partition dividing saidtubular member into two axially spaced chambers, connecting means on theends of said tubular glass member for connecting the one end to a fluidsupply line and the other end to a discharge line, a pair of spacedelectrodes in the one of said chambers which receives the fluid to betreated, and a temperature controlling means in the other of saidchambers, said dividing partition having With the walls thereof spacedfrom the walls of said receiving chamber whereby the flow of the fluidin the receiving chamber is retarded and subjected to the electrostaticcharges for a longer period of time,

2. A flow tube for use in treating fluids with electrostatic chargescomprising a generally tubular member forming a treatment chamber, saidmember having means on one end for connecting the same to a fluid supplyline and having its walls flared outwardly at its other end, anothergenerally tubular member having means on one end for connecting the sameto a discharge line and having the walls at its other end flaredinwardly and terminating in a restricted opening, said tubular membersbeing permanently connected in telescoped relation with the inwardlyflared end walls of said second mentioned tubular member extending asubstantial distance within said first mentioned tubular member to forma restricted passageway between the tubular members and to form withinsaid treatment chamber an eddy zone for the fluid being treated, a pairof axially spaced electrodes one of which is positioned adjacent theentrance end of said treatment chamber and the other of which ispositioned at the connecting line between said tubular members,

whereby duid is held in said treatment chamber for a longer period oftime by the action of said eddy zone and said restricted passageway, andtemperature controlling means within said second mentioned tubularmember.

3` An elongated ow tube through which a fluid is adapted to pass,entering at one end of the tube and leaving at the other, said tubecontaining a pair of spaced electrodes adapted for connection exteriorlyof the tube in an electrical circuit for subjecting the fluid uponentering the tube to an electrical action, a temperature controllingelement immediately beyond the electrodes past which the fluid isadapted to flow, said tube comprising a plurality oi relatively thinWalled sections of quartz glass and a cone-shaped partition extendingfrom the end of one of said sections adjacent one of said electrodeswith the smaller end thereoi positioned in the space between saidelectrodes and having a restricted aperture in said end.

4. An elongated flow tube through which a fluid is adapted to pass,entering at one end of the tube and leaving at the other, said tubehaving a pair of spaced ring electrodes therein, said tube comprising aplurality of relatively thin walled sections of quartz glass having endportions which are connected in telescoped relation, the section of saidtube at the end through which the fluid enters having a relatively smallpassageway for receiving the fluid and a somewhat larger connectingpassageway terminating in a constricted end which is telescoped Withinthe flared end of the adjacent central section, means for supporting oneof said electrodes in said larger passageway, Said electrode beingpositioned in the end of said adjacent central section, said centralsection having a bulbous portion terminating in a cylindrical portionwhich telescopes the adjacent end of the section at the discharge end 0fthe tube, means for supporting the other electrode between the tubesections at the end of the bulbous portion, said last mentioned tubesection having a truncated partition forming end the smaller end ofwhich extends a substantial distance into the bulbous portion of thecentral tube section and a communicating chamber of larger diameter andcooling coils mounted in said last mentioned chamber.

HENRY M. UNSCHULD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 884,919 Grau et al, Apr. 14, 19081,035,873 Grohmann Aug. 20, 1912 1,115,625 Koch Nov. 3, 1914 1,664,967Christensen Apr. 3, 1928 1,895,489 Ruben Jan. 31, 1933 1,979,757 MelotNov. 6, 1934 2,106,779 Whittier Feb. 1, 1938 2,106,782 Whittier Feb. 1,1938 2,127,229 McRae Aug. 16, 1938.

